And In the Shadows We Lay
by UndergroundSonata
Summary: As tragedy befalls the leaf village, a familiar presence returns to reign destruction. When all lines end with the same option, and all ties begin to fray... is there any way to tie them back together? When one girl ...   Full summary inside


**And in the shadows we lay**

Summary: As tragedy befalls the leaf village, a familiar presence returns to reign destruction. When all lines end with the same option, and all ties begin to fray... is there any way to tie them back together? When one girl does everything she can, could you really call her a burden in the end?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters/music/plot.

**Chapter 1  
**

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::Two years Earlier::

[ Enhance your reading by listening to **Sadness and Sorrow by Toshiro Masuda** ]

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A pink haired kunoichi sat in a chair in front of the hokage's desk. Her head was lowered, and her pink tresses hung uselessly, hiding her face and expression.

"Sakura... I know this must be hard on you... i'm so sorry, if there's anything I can do..." The blonde haired hokage stared sadly at her student. It was a moment before the girl responded. She shook her head silently and then stood up clasping her hands in front of her and bowing.

"Thank you lady Tsunade... I will be fine." She said lifting up her head, a bright fake smile was placed onto the girls face, masking her grief and sorrow. "Have a good day ma'am." She spoke lightly before turning and then walking out of the room. The smile still on her face as she walked at an even pace out of the hokage tower and headed... anywhere.

People glanced at her as she passed them and then turned and whispered. She could hear them though. Her bottom lip began to quiver slightly, but she still smiled. She stared ahead, but didn't see. She heard her name being called, but couldn't turn to the voice. She heard her name again and stopped.

The familiar bright chakra and spiky blond head hopped over to her excitedly, followed along with a head of straight black hair.

"Sakura-chan Sakura-chan! Ohayo! How are you ttebayo!" He spoke out excitedly. She took a moment to compose her self as much as she could before turning to the shinobi.

"Ohayo Naruto, Sai." She said with a smile. Though Naruto's face quickly changed form happy, to surprise, and even the always unemotional Sai looked a bit surprised. "I'm good, it's a great day!" She said as cheerfully as she could manage. Naruto reached out looking worried.

"S-Sakura-chan... Daijobu?" He asked. Sakura blinked and then tilted her head, still smiling.

"Nani?" She said curiously. Sai spoke up.

"Your crying." He said. Sakura's smile stayed on as she slowly reached up and touched her face, and it was wet, with tears that wouldn't stop.

"..."

Naruto spoke up again.

"Sakura-chan... what, what happened?" He said touching her shoulders. Sakura stared at him her bottom lip quivering again as her face slowly broke down from it smile. She soon frowned, her eyes began to look distressed before she grimaced and shut her eyes, her hands dropped uselessly to her side and her shoulders slumped as they shook. She began to cry and choke out sobs.

"... M-My parents..." She choked out.

"What happened, Sakura?" Sai said stepping foreword. Sakura's hands clenched by her side as her head dropped more, her hair falling in front of her face.

"They're, dead." She said before falling to her knees and then crying out. She felt Naruto quickly drop by her side and hug her, she turned her face into his shoulder and sobbed out. Sai knelt down beside her as well and put a comforting hand on her back as she cried out.

No. She wasn't okay.

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::Present Time::

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A girl of about sixteen headed to the front door of her house. She slipped on her shoes before turning and calling out.

"I'm leaving!" She called with soft green eyes as she looked over two pictures that watched the front door. One of her mother and father, and the other of the three of them. A small smile graced her lips before she turned and then exited the house. She locked the door and then walked towards the hokage tower at an even pace, a calm smile on her face.

Two years ago, she had learned that while on a trip to another village, her parents along with others in the group had been attacked by a band of rouge shinobi who slaughtered them all. Her parents died on that day and Sakura was left alone. Still though, she was not yet technically an adult and would have been put into a foster home somewhere in the village.

Thankfully though, her teacher, the fifth hokage had filled out paper work, with Sakura's permission and adopted her. Tsunade, knowing fully well how capable Sakura was, allowed Sakura to choose her own life style and live alone if she had chosen. Of course, she had chosen to stay at her house.

Sakura got a part-time job at the hospital to get a paycheck and be able to live and buy the things she needed. The thought still pains her very much today about her parents, but along with Tsunade and all of her friends, she was able to heal and smile again.

As she passed by Ichiraku, she saw a familiar figure sitting there. She smiled and then held her hand up and waved.

"Ohayo Naruto!" She called out and he turned to her quickly, noodles falling out of his mouth before he quickly slurped them up and then waved at her jumping up to run over and envelop her in a hug. She smiled as he pulled away,

"Ohayo Sakura-chan, how are you, where are you going?" He asked her excitedly. She smiled.

"I'm on my way to Lady Tsunade's office. She wants me to help her organize some papers, and then later we're going to train." She said happily. Along with the guidance and lessons from Tsunade, Sakura had grown into a strong and capable kunoichi, she was no longer going to be a burden.

"Waah, can I come watch you guys train?" He asked grinning. Sakura sighed out.

"Well, okay... but don't get in the way. Be at the training grounds in two hours." She said before walking past him.

"Yosh! I'll definitely be there, see you later Sakura-chan!" He called out. She smiled and turned to him waving before heading off to the tower once more.

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Thats the first chapter! Hope you liked it i'll try and update as much as I can, send some reviews my way please ^_^

~ Sakura Hime


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